Updated July 16, 2026 at 2:24 PM PDT
KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired the country's popular defense minister, who pushed for innovation on the battlefield through the use of drones and turned the tables on Russia.
Mykhailo Fedorov, who served as Ukraine's defense minister for six months, was dismissed as part of a government reshuffle.
Fedorov is seen by Ukrainian lawmakers, soldiers and civil society activists as one of the most effective wartime officials. He pushed for the use of sophisticated drone warfare in Russia's war on Ukraine. His tenure coincided with a dramatic shift in Ukraine's favor on the battlefield.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Thursday, he gave an impassioned defense of his ministry's accomplishments and hit out at the country's old-school military chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, for blocking attempts to modernize.
"Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically, which is the army chief's task," he said, "he has figured out how to divide the country."
"The war has completely changed," he added. "We can't keep going on what worked back then."
During a press conference in Kyiv with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy acknowledged the tension between Syrsky and Fedorov, and said they couldn't work together unless he was the mediator.
"I wanted unity very much," Zelenskyy told reporters. "The sides did not find it. And that is not only their problem, but mine as well. I do not absolve myself of responsibility. And I respect the sides, I know their strengths, I know their weaknesses, and I very much want them to strengthen Ukraine. But it is what it is."
He has appointed Yevhen Khmara, who currently leads Ukraine's security service, as the acting defense minister. Khmara has been involved in the long-range strike campaigns against Russia that have hit oil refineries and depots in an attempt to weaken the Kremlin's ability to wage war.
However, there were protests on Thursday in Ukrainian cities demanding that Zelenskyy reappoint Fedorov. Those protests are expected to continue on Friday.
Ukraine's parliament has already approved Zelenskyy's choice for prime minister, Serhii Koretskyi, former CEO of Naftogaz, the country's largest oil and gas company.
The defense minister's dismissal came just hours after Ukraine signed deals with the European Union to boost drone production. Last week, President Trump agreed during NATO's summit in Turkey to grant Ukraine the license to produce missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot defense system to defend against Russia's ballistic missiles.
Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker with Zelenskyy's party, told NPR that appointing Fedorov "was one of the best decisions Zelenskyy made."
Pavlo Yelizarov, a deputy commander of Ukraine's air force, announced on Facebook he was stepping down in response to Fedorov's dismissal. Yelizarov called Fedorov's dismissal "a great blow to the country's defense capability."
Fedorov advocated for the use of mid-range drone strikes to disrupt Russia's war logistics in Crimea and other parts of Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. He also persuaded Elon Musk to switch off Starlink internet terminals that were being used by the Russian military.
Fedorov, who previously led Ukraine's digital transformation ministry, also introduced reforms to improve transparency in arms procurement.
"One of the faces of the modern and technological war, it's Mykhailo Fedorov. He totally changed the rules. He's not afraid to take some risk or responsibility," said Ihor Fedirko, who leads the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry.
Zelenskyy is expected to nominate Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine's current interior minister — a former police general with traditional ideas — to replace Fedorov. The Interior Ministry manages units in Ukraine's National Guard.
In Moscow, the Kremlin played down the importance of Fedorov's dismissal — despite his role in shaping Ukraine's attack drone program against the Russian interior.
"It doesn't make any difference who the defense minister is," said spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. "What matters to us is that there is someone among the regime in Kyiv prepared to make the responsible decision: one that would allow a peaceful settlement."
Peskov added that Moscow's conditions to end the war — demands that include Ukraine voluntarily surrender more of its territory — were well known in Kyiv.
NPR's Charles Maynes contributed reporting from Moscow. Polina Lytvynova contributed to this story from Kyiv.
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